PCGame

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak

Ground-based real-time strategy with vehicle fleets and desert ambushes

Blackbird Interactive · Published by Gearbox Publishing, 2K · Released Jan 20, 2016

Strategy

Reviews
Mostly Positive
79% of 8,050
Recent reviews
Mostly Positive
73% of 19 in 30 days
Players
31
daily peak, Nov 7, 2026
Steam Deck
Playable
Last update on Steam
3 years ago
Oct 4, 2023
Minimum PC
GeForce GT 440
3 GB RAM · 8 GB disk
Full requirements

Metacritic: 79/100 (critic reviews)

What is Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak?

A ground-based real-time strategy prequel set in Kharak's deserts, where Rachel S'jet leads an expedition to investigate an anomaly. In the campaign, you command land and air vehicles, manage resources, research technology, and position units to use dunes and high ground. Online multiplayer includes ranked matches.

For you if...

  • +you enjoy tactical vehicle battles and managing resources
  • +you want a serious sci-fi campaign with detailed worldbuilding
  • +you like desert settings and atmospheric soundtracks

Not for you if...

  • −you want space battles instead of ground combat
  • −you prefer strategy games without resource and technology management

What players say

79% of 8,050 reviews are positive · 73% of 19 in the last 30 days

Players praise the campaign's worldbuilding, desert atmosphere, soundtrack, and vehicle combat. They complain that later updates added Epic Online Services and an online requirement for single-player, and some report launch problems.

Players over time

▲ +3% vs a month ago

Players online on Steam, one sample a day.

Highest since Sep 2026: 35 players on Oct 25, 2026.

Show the data
DayPlayers
Nov 7, 202631
Nov 6, 202617
Nov 5, 202623
Nov 4, 202620
Nov 3, 202614
Nov 2, 202620
Nov 1, 202624
Oct 31, 202620
Oct 30, 202623
Oct 29, 202612
Oct 28, 202611
Oct 27, 202619
Oct 26, 202625
Oct 25, 202635
Oct 24, 202621
Oct 23, 202622
Oct 22, 202619
Oct 21, 202621
Oct 20, 202626
Oct 19, 202627
Oct 18, 202628
Oct 17, 202623
Oct 16, 202623
Oct 15, 202621
Oct 14, 202618
Oct 13, 202621
Oct 12, 202631
Oct 11, 202630
Oct 10, 202624
Oct 9, 202618
Oct 8, 202620
Oct 7, 202622
Oct 6, 202620
Oct 5, 202623
Oct 4, 202618
Oct 3, 202621
Oct 2, 202615
Oct 1, 202621
Sep 30, 202610
Sep 29, 202620
Sep 28, 202616
Sep 27, 202618
Sep 26, 202619
Sep 25, 202624
Sep 24, 202621
Sep 23, 202614
Sep 23, 202613
Sep 22, 202617

How many players finish Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak?

28% of Steam players have unlocked «Expedition complete - Easy», the achievement for finishing the main story.

Share of everyone who owns the game on Steam, including those who barely played it. Updated weekly.

Screenshots and trailer

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak screenshot 1

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak system requirements

Minimum: GeForce GT 440, 3 GB RAM, 8 GB of disk space.

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak?

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Minimum

OS
Windows 7/8/10
Processor
Intel Core i3-2100 (3.1 GHz) / AMD A10 5800k (3.8 GHz)
Graphics
GeForce GT 440 (1024 MB) / Radeon HD 4890 (1024 MB)
Memory
3 GB RAM
Storage
8 GB available space

Recommended

OS
Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit)
Processor
Intel Core i7-950 (3.0 GHz) / AMD FX-4300 (3.8 GHz)
Graphics
GeForce GTX 770 (2048 MB) / Radeon HD 7770 (1024 MB)
Memory
8 GB RAM
Storage
12 GB available space

Does Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak have co-op or multiplayer?

Yes: multiplayer (mode not specified). It also has a single-player mode.

Does Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak run on Steam Deck?

Playable Playable: it runs on Steam Deck with some adjustments.

  • Default controller config not fully functional
  • Sometimes shows mouse, keyboard or non-Deck controller icons
  • Some text entry requires manually opening the on-screen keyboard
  • Some in-game text is small and may be hard to read
  • Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

PC version details

DRM
None declared on Steam
Controller
Keyboard and mouse
Platforms
Windows, macOS
Achievements
48
Steam features
Cloud saves, Family Sharing, Trading cards
Languages
Full audio: English. Text only: French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Russian, Polish.

Does Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Oct 27, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam

Tags

Recent updates

4 DLC available.

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